


We're Not Running Anymore

by bipsycho_earper



Category: Neverknock (2017)
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25256275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bipsycho_earper/pseuds/bipsycho_earper
Summary: Jenna, Grace and Leah were the only survivors of the Neverknock murders, but will the horrors they've faced keep their lives from ever returning to normal?
Relationships: Leah/Grace
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Basically writing this because I thought Grace and Leah deserved better. It picks up at the end of the movie and just continues from there. I hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> I tagged Wynonna Earp in this because the Neverknock fic-base is tiny (I think there's only 4 fics?).
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Neverknock or any of its characters. All rights go to their respective owners.
> 
> I am the sole editor of this piece, any errors are by my own hand.

**Chapter 1**

It was a scene straight out of a nightmare. Out of a horror movie. The abandoned house towered compared to the others on the street, casting a looming shadow over the front yard lit only by the pale moonlight. For the most part, the house had been boarded securely, adding to the fear factor of such a dark, abandoned place. All the windows were blocked off by thick wooden planks nailed into the house’s otherwise pleasant-looking exterior, with the exception being one window on the side, which appeared to have been broken into.

Voices of various emergency workers began to fill the air as they started to swarm the grounds of 59 Oakwood Lane. Having arrived first, the police officers took control of the situation, guns out and pointed at the house. They immediately spotted a teenage girl on the ground in front of the porch, laying in a dark pool of her own blood with an axe lodged in her abdomen, as still as if she were dead. One of the officers, a tall and muscular woman with smooth, dark skin and short brown curls, knelt down beside the teen and checked her wrist for a pulse. Her eyes widened slightly when she could barely feel the throbs and she quickly scanned the body for any other signs of life, shoulders relaxing as she saw the teen’s chest rising and falling ever so slightly. Blood continued to spread, further staining the teen’s already red flannel and tan suede jacket. The officer nodded towards the house, urging the others to continue inside as she attempted to place pressure on the girl’s wound to stop the bleeding. 

The remaining three officers continued inside, guns drawn and pointing towards the darkness. The oddly unique door had already been knocked off its hinges. The door itself was mostly intact, apart from the two vertical strips that lay splintered beside it on the floor, and the frame had taken the beating without showing much damage. It was evident to the officers that someone had tried to destroy the door, whether to break into the house or simply vandalize it. Whichever the case, the culprit had succeeded. 

One of the three officers, an average height, wiry man with blonde hair, took the lead, flicking on his flashlight as he entered the house. He immediately spotted two more girls on the floor. He gestured to the other two officers, directing them to search the house for threats as he ducked towards the girls. The one sprawled on the floor with burns on her back looked maybe a year or two older than the teen outside, but the girl next to her, propped awkwardly against the wall, looked to be no older than thirteen. The officer knelt to check the younger girl’s pulse first, immediately relieved when the girl began to stir at his touch. She didn’t appear severely injured, although the officer did note the excess of blood on the younger girl’s and what appeared to be holes going all the way through her palms. He shuddered, not even wanting to imagine what horror might have caused them, and turned to the older teen on the floor.

“Clear.”

“Clear.” The two voices rang with authority, one after the other.

As the officer’s eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness of the entryway, the more serious the older teen’s injuries began to appear. On her ankle, blood continued to trickle slowly from a deep bite wound. What originally looked like a few minor burns spread over the teen’s back were soon recognizable as second degree burns, maybe even third degree in some areas near the middle. The officer winced at the sight, placing 2 fingers to the girl’s wrist to check for her pulse. His eyes widened as he felt a couple of throbs before the pulse stopped. He glanced up to the back of the girl’s ribs, searching for any possible movement, but feeling his own heart drop as the teen remained motionless.

“We need to get EMTs in here right now!”

______________________________________________________________________________

  
  


Jenna jostled her father awake as Grace's eyes slowly began to open. The waking girl mumbled something incoherent as her father left the room in search of the nurse who had just checked in mere minutes ago. 

"Jenna…" Grace muttered, trying to gauge her surroundings. "Jenna...?"

"I'm right here," Jenna replied softly, standing up from her chair. Her eyes scanned her sister's face looking for any sign of discomfort or pain, instead finding nothing but confusion.

"Jenna?" Grace's eyes lit up as she heard her sister's voice. She squinted, making an effort to remember what had happened. The image of Jenna nailed to the door still burned in her mind, along with watching Leah being dragged away by feral dogs and not to mention the gruesome deaths of the friends she never truly got to make. Grace sat up suddenly, the realization of the horrifying events quickly returning to her mind. "Oh my god, Jenna! Are you okay? Leah? Is Leah okay? Where's-"

"She's fine, Grace," the younger girl answered with a slight chuckle. "She's in a different hallway, but she's okay. And I'm okay too. Dad's getting the nurse so that she can check up on you."

Grace nodded slowly, lowering herself gently with a wince. In her movement, she had aggravated the wounds on her back, feeling her vision darker from the sharp, intense pain. "Okay...okay. Is she okay? Did she get away from the dogs?"

"From the dogs? Oh…" Jenna's eyes widened slightly, a reaction that she failed to hide from her older sister.

"Jenna...what happened to Leah?"

"Well...um...she kinda did get away from the dogs, if that's what you're asking…"

"Jenna…" Grace's voice grew stern.

"She kinda came back to the house to chop down the door with the axe and she was going to kill the monster with it too, but she saw you on the ground and she hesitated and then the thing threw us both out of the house and she got the axe in her side but she's okay!" Jenna rambled, managing to tell the entire story in a single breath. "She's okay."

"Okay," Grace breathed, releasing tension she didn't realize she had been holding. "How are you?"

"Stitches, mostly. But it's okay! Now I've got cool Frankenstein hands!"

"And me?"

"Well, you've got really bad burns on your back, but the fire cauterized the bleeding." An unfamiliar voice came from the doorway to the room. The nurse hastily made her way to Grace's bedside, looking over her notes as she checked Grace's injuries. "Whatever you were hit with got you right between your 10th and 11th rib. You're very lucky that the object didn't hit your spine, otherwise, we'd be in a very different situation. Other than those bone injuries, you have a punctured lung and scratched esophagus, both of which are minor and will heal just fine on their own."

Grace's dad stood opposite the nurse, leaning down to give Grace a kiss on the forehead. "You're okay...you're okay," he mumbled, unsure of whether he was trying to convince his daughter or himself.

The nurse smiled fondly at the father and his daughters, allowing them to have a moment before cutting back in. "We will have to do a minor surgery to make sure that your bones heal properly, as well as to double-check the severity of the burns. I will have to administer anesthetics which will cause you to fall asleep...although seeing as you have slept for five days now, it may take a little while to kick in."

Grace nodded, watching as the nurse injected the drugs into her IV, made a note, then left the room. She looked back to her father, squeezing his hand. "Can I talk to Jenna? Alone?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," her father replied, his face falling slightly. He knew the bond that the two sisters shared, but he sometimes wished that his daughters would feel comfortable talking to him about their lives. He paused for a second as if contemplating what to do before nodding and walking towards the door.

"Dad? I love you," Grace called after him, watching him leave.

"I love you too, Grace," he echoed, closing the door gently behind himself.

Grace turned to look at Jenna, feeling her eyes begin to droop from the anesthesia. "So, five days huh? You didn't want to tell me that I've been asleep for  _ five whole days _ ?"

"In my defense, you didn't ask…" Jenna remarked with a laugh.

"How is it that you can be joking around after all of this?" Grace's tone wasn't as accusatory as it was genuinely curious. This would likely be the most traumatic experience that Jenna would ever live through, and yet she was just laughing it off as if nothing happened.

Jenna just shrugged. "It's easier to cry over it, but if I do that, then I'll never move on." She glanced briefly at the bandages covering the stitches on her hands. "Besides, laughter is the best medicine, so that's how I cope. Plus I get a pair of pretty cool scars out of it. I bet not many kids can say they've been nailed to a haunted door before! Always find the silver lining."

Grace cocked an eyebrow at her younger sister. "What kind of drugs did they put you on? Are you like some sort of philosopher now?"

"I prefer to think of it as 'sophisticated thinker', but I suppose 'philosopher' could do."

"Get over here," Grace laughed, shaking her head. "You know I love you, right?"

"You say it every day," Jenna grinned as she approached the side of the hospital bed, laying one of her bandaged hands gently on top of Grace's.

"Well, it's true! You may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I'd still give up the world for you."

"I know, and I love you too, Grace. I really do." The grin still lingered on the younger girl's face, but her tone was sincere. It was all Grace needed to hear as she softly closed her eyes and succumbed once again to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is my first big project that I've been planning for a while now. I don't know if I'll have a solid upload schedule, but I promise I will finish the story and not leave you guys hanging. 
> 
> As always, feedback is very appreciated and I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1!!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if people are actually reading this, but hi again! Sorry for the wait, I promise I didn't abandon this fic! I actually had a lot more planned for this chapter, but decided to break it into two separate parts to keep somewhat of a consistency in chapter length. 
> 
> Again, I'm my own proofreader, apologies for any mistakes. Feedback is always welcome!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

_ 10 months later: _

Two loud honks of a car horn broke Grace out of a trance she didn’t even realize she was in. She shook her head a couple of times, trying to clear her mind of any thoughts before looking outside. Through the curtains, she could see a small silver Corolla in the driveway. The driver honked the horn again and Grace rolled her eyes with a smile, leaving her house to walk up to the driver’s side window and give it a knock. The driver rolled down the window, sunglasses holding her hair back from her face and a smirk plastered on her face.

“What’re you doing here?” Grace asked, leaning down face-to-face with Leah. Although brief, she spotted the corners of Leah’s smirk rise ever so slightly, a hint of adolescent excitement threatening to break through her ‘cool-guy’ facade, only to be hidden again a moment later.

“It’s a surprise,” Leah replied, a hint of mystery surfacing in her tone. “Figured you could use a day away from the house and that little spitfire of a sister you’ve got.”

“Well, maybe I don’t like surprises….” Grace tried, knowing she was encouraging Leah’s efforts. She enjoyed their banter, already knowing that she would go anywhere Leah asked. Grace didn’t know why she felt that way, especially about a girl, but she knew that Leah was genuine and cared about her.

“Oh come on! Everyone likes surprises,” Leah pouted overdramatically, her facade breaking completely. She took the sunglasses off of her head, hooking them on the neck of her maroon tank-top and patting the seat next to her. “C’mon, I even cleaned the car and everything!”

Grace let out a soft sigh, running her fingers through her hair as she stood up straight again. “Let me just tell my dad I’m going out, but you’re telling me  _ exactly _ where we’re going, alright?”

“Will do!” Leah grinned cheerfully, feeling excitement begin to bubble inside of her. She watched as Grace returned to the house, noticing the little bounce in Grace’s step as she entered through the front door and closed her eyes with a smile.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Leah sat in her car, rereading her notes over and over again. She wanted this surprise to go as smoothly and as flawlessly as possible. It was the first kind of date that Leah was going to take Grace on, especially since their plan to take this relationship slowly had been ultimately delayed by the horrors they had encountered during Halloween. And besides, she had a feeling Grace could use a day away from her family.

Technically the car wasn’t Leah’s, considering it was listed under her uncle’s insurance, but he had decided that Leah needed some way to get to and from school, to and from work once she got a job, and to do everything else he speculated teens did. It just made life easier for both of them, not having to worry about schedules aligning with one another.

Everything had already been crossed off of the checklist, but Leah continued to go through it over and over again. She made sure that all the food was tucked in the basket in a way that the fruit would stay chilled. She double-checked that her Polaroid camera had plenty of film, making sure to pack both the camera itself as well as a little box she could put the film in to help it develop quicker. Her phone, speaker, and portable charger were all at full battery, and the blankets were folded neatly and sitting in the trunk. Most importantly, her car had enough gas to get them from the house to their destination and back, twice if needed. 

Leah checked the time on her phone. If all went according to plan, they would get to the surprise with enough time to eat before it got dark and still be there to watch the sun as it set over the ocean. The only thing missing now was Grace.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Leah jumped in her seat, startled by the sudden sound of Grace's voice outside of her window again. 

"Sorry about that," Grace sighed, resuming her former position of leaning against the car door. She ran her fingers through her hair once, letting the golden brown locks settle gently in front of her shoulders. "My dad can be a little overprotective."

"Can't really blame him for it," Leah laughed slightly. "That's what dads are for."

"So..." Grace paused. "You said you'd tell me where we're going?"

A grin began to spread on Leah's face. "I will... _ eventually _ ."

Grace cocked an eyebrow. "Eventually? How do I know I can trust you on that?"

"You don't!" There was a mischievous glint in Leah's eye as she chuckled. "But you like me, so you'll come with me anyway."

Grace sighed, shaking her head. "You know, you make me question that decision sometimes..."

"Just get in the car, okay?"

There was a minute of silence as Grace made her way to the passenger door. Though it had nearly been two years since her mother's death, the girl was still wary around cars, especially cars similar to the one that caught on fire. However, something about Leah's laid-back attitude and soft smile comforted her enough to possibly test the waters again. 

Leah could see the gears turning in the older teen's mind as Grace was revisiting her past. She knew that it might be tough for Grace, but had a foolproof plan in case Grace was uncomfortable. The opening of the passenger door shook Leah out of her thoughts as the brown-haired girl gracefully slid into the seat.

"This  _ is _ legal, right?" Grace asked, pulling the seat belt over her shoulder and securing it with a click.

"If you're asking whether or not I'm licensed, I have it right here." Leah paused, taking the time to flash her official documentation. A moment of silence passed before it was filled with words. "Okay, well  _ maybe _ I'm not supposed to drive other people yet…"

Grace raised her eyebrow again, shaking her head with a laugh.

"Oh c'mon! It's gonna be fun!"

"I trust you."

"Good," Leah answered with a smirk as she shifted the car into reverse and wrapped her arm around Grace's seat, brushing Grace's shoulder as she did. Grace felt a flutter in her chest, followed by warmth flooding her cheeks. She bit back a smile, glancing quickly at the girl beside her before averting her gaze to her hands in her lap. 

This did not escape Leah's notice, the raven-haired teen's smirk growing wider as she realized how much she could fluster Grace with accidental contact. It did nothing but boost her confidence in her plan as she tucked a section of Grace's hair behind her ear before returning that hand to the steering wheel. 

Once again, Grace felt her cheeks flush even more than the first time, attempting to avoid eye contact. "So...," she breathed, grabbing hold of the auxiliary cord connected to the center console of the car and plugging it into her phone. "What kind of music do you want?"

Leah shrugged. "I'm open to anything. What do you wanna listen to?"

"Nuh-uh. Your trip, your music choice," Grace grinned with a newfound confidence, thumbs hovering over the keyboard. 

Leah hummed for a second as she thought. "I could really go for some throwbacks…"

"Throwbacks it is, then," Grace replied with a nod, typing in the request and selecting a playlist. "Good choice."

"Mine always are," Leah laughed, turning up the volume slightly, though not too loud so that the two could still chat. 

After a few miles on the main road, she flicked on the blinker, pulling on to a dirt road into the woods. The dirt kicked up around the vehicle as they progressed further into the woods, stirring a tan dust cloud to contrast the bright foliage and dark trunks of the trees. 

The car hit a pothole particularly rough, startling Grace. Instinctively, the brown-haired girl's hand reached for Leah's leg as she turned to face the driver, eyes widened. 

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Grace asked, a tiny hint of fear in her voice.

"Yep!" Leah laughed, lifting Grace's hand and holding it in her own. "I used to ride down this road all the time when my parents lived here."

"Lived?" Grace asked confused, speaking before her mind caught up with her words.

"Yeah," Leah began with a hesitant breath. "My mom had a really great work opportunity in California, so they moved there about a year and a half ago." 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Grace responded, regretting bringing it up. She gently rubbed the back of the other girl's hand, hoping to help comfort any painful memories she might have caused to resurface.

"No, it's...it's alright," Leah answered with a soft smile. She peeled her eyes away from the road ahead momentarily to glance at Grace, who met her gaze with sympathetic eyes, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I know about you and Jenna, plus a little bit about your family. It's only fair you know a bit about mine."

Grace paused to think for a second, choosing her words carefully. "Okay, so if your parents are in California...why are you still here?"

"I wanted to finish out school here with my friends. We've been together since we were little, so they let me stay with my uncle. He's got custody until I'm eighteen, but I'll hopefully be in college by then." 

"Is he nice?"

"Yeah, although we don't interact all that much, aside from meals and whatnot," Leah answered with a nod. "He's got a busy life and I've got my own. Besides, it means I can do things like this."

Grace felt the car slowing down as she watched it begin to near the end of the dirt road. Leah moved their hands together to shift the car into park, an excited grin spreading across her face.

"Okay," Leah started, turning off the car and popping open the trunk of the car. "Now, cover your eyes."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Here, I'll let you get out of the car first, but then you have to cover your eyes."

Grace let out an over-exaggerated sigh, opening her door and offering Leah an eyeroll paired with a smile, an unspoken "You're lucky I like you."

Leah suppressed a giggle as she looked at Grace over the top of the car. She made an overdramatic pout with puppy dog eyes. "Now will you close your eyes?"

"How do I know you're not gonna lead me into the middle of the woods and leave me there?" Grace replied with a sly smirk, closing the door. 

"Because I would never do that to you," Leah answered softly, shutting the driver's door and moving towards the trunk. "Just do it? Please?"

Although she knew they were just having fun banter, Grace sensed that Leah had truly meant what she had said. Sighing in mock defeat, she covered her eyes with one hand and held out the other. "Lead the way, your majesty."

Leah let out a small squeal, gathering the blankets, the picnic basket and her other items into a larger bag. Slamming the trunk closed, though not hard enough to break it, she joined Grace and took her hand, leading her down a smaller, more grassy path. Leah skillfully guided the taller girl around any large rocks, divots or fallen branches along the way, making sure that neither of them accidentally tripped. 

"Okay, we're here," Leah announced barely five minutes later, taking a moment to place her bag on the grass ahead before promptly returning to Grace's side. "You can open your eyes now."

An audible gasp escaped Grace's lips as she uncovered her eyes, taking in the scenery before her. "Leah, it's...it's beautiful!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a picnic! And dancing! And toothachey fluff, I guess?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while, but this chapter is like 3 times as long as the other two so maybr that makes up for my hiatus? Idk. It's all fluff though! Next chapter is gonna be a bit of angst I think, at least according to the plan!
> 
> I don't write a lot of fluff, so I apologize in advance, but I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (FYI, the song I used for the lyrics was Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden, in case you didn't know. It's a nice song and the contrast between that slow song and the fun upbeat song that is 1985 by Bowling For Soup was definitely a huge inspiration for this chapter.)

**Chapter 3**

In front of the two teens lay a small, open grassy field overlooking the town proper. Grace's eyes darted around the scene, taking in the beauty of the scenery she had the privilege of witnessing. The grass itself was littered with yellow dandelions galore, save for a handful of dandelions that had already exposed their seeds (a sight for which Leah sent a silent thanks to her surroundings). 

"I guess you like it?" Leah shrugged with a grin, watching the older teen shuffle through the lush green of the clearing. The raven-haired girl set her bag on the ground, pulling out the blanket, basket, speaker, and camera. She set it up almost expertly, taking pride in the way she laid out each item on the blanket. Feeling the hairs rising on the back of her neck, Leah looked up to see Grace smiling softly at her.

"Like it?" Grace laughed, sitting down next to the other teen and handing her a miniature bouquet of dandelions. "Leah, this is absolutely amazing! I love it!"

"Good, I'm glad!" Leah grinned, satisfied at the way her planning played out. This little field held a vast amount of sentimental value to her. It was where her parents took her every year for her birthday, just to watch the sky change colors as the sun fell behind the outline of the town's buildings below. It was where she would escape on her bad days, sitting in the grass and letting nature take away all of her stress. It was where she would go first on the good days to celebrate achievements, telling the trees, the grass, and the flowers about her most recent accomplishments.

She had debated taking Grace here on their first  _ official _ date, wondering if it was too personal, but as soon as Grace sat in her car, she knew it was the right move. Something about Grace struck her as special. She had never felt this way about another person before. Not about her countless middle school crushes, and by extension, the countless celebrity crushes she fostered. Not even about her girlfriend from freshman and sophomore year! And they were convinced that they were going to be married!

No. Being around Grace felt different. It was like some unknown force was pulling them together. Leah  _ wanted  _ to be around her all the time, just to be with her. To talk and laugh and cry and just exist together. To be the reason why she laughed or smiled. 

Shit

Was this what love felt like? Or falling in love? Whatever it was, Leah was intoxicated and she didn't want to leave this state.

"Leah?" The sound of Grace's voice shook her out of her stupor. "Earth to Leah!"

"Huh?"

"I was wondering how you found this place," Grace repeated, chuckling at Leah's daydreaming. She took a small strawberry and, eating it in a single bite, laid the stem on a napkin she had set out for the remains. "You'd miss it so easily from the main road."

"Oh," Leah laughed along. "Yeah, like I said in the car, my parents used to take me down that road all the time because there's an obscure hiking trail off the side of it, so one day I decided to figure out where the road led and I found this place! I've been coming here ever since."

"That's kind of sweet!" Grace grinned, picking up another couple of strawberries and handing one to Leah. "Do you miss hiking with your family?"

"Sometimes," Leah admitted, biting into the strawberry and puckering at the tart taste that instantly filled her mouth. "I mean, between all the schoolwork and stuff that I've got going on now, we wouldn't be able to hike as often as we used to, but I do miss it. They were some of my best memories."

"Aww," Grace sighed with a smile, finishing her second strawberry. She set the stem on the napkin and inched closer to Leah, laying her head on Leah's shoulder.

Leah immediately felt her face flush at the contact and reached for another container of food to hide her blush, but made sure not to move too much where Grace had to move with her. "Don't you start getting tired on me! We still have to watch the sunset! It's tradition!"

Grace laughed. "I'm not tired, I promise! I just—your shirt looked soft and you're warm…"

"Are you cold?"

"No, I—," Grace paused. "You smell nice."

Leah chuckled slightly, blushing. "Thanks, it's the vanilla body spray from the dollar store."

"Mmm, vanilla is one of my favorites."

"Mine too," Leah replied. "Well I mean obviously it is, otherwise I wouldn't have worn it. Though I could've gone with a fruity scent and that would've probably smelled nice as well...and I'm rambling, aren't I? You know what, I'm just gonna play some music and change the subject…"

Grace snorted with laughter, sitting up to grab the speaker on the other side of the blanket and power it on. With a beep, the Bluetooth connected to Leah's phone and the raven-haired girl pressed 'Play' on an aptly titled playlist:  _ Grace's Surprise Picnic _ . Leah wasn't super sure of Grace's music taste, so she put in a number of fun and upbeat songs along with some slow songs that reminded her of Grace. Turning up the volume to a reasonable decibel where it played as background noise, Grace set the speaker behind them and opened a bag of Goldfish.

"So," Leah started, attempting to pick up a conversation. "What's your favorite color?"

"Hm," Grace thought, popping two of the fish-shaped crackers in her mouth and offering the bag to Leah, who gratefully took a handful. "I'm tempted to go with a scarlet, but honestly, I think I'm very partial to a daffodil yellow."

"Huh, I would've pinned you as a blue-lover."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"That's really interesting! Why?"

Leah threw another small handful of Goldfish into her mouth before responding. "Well, blue is a color of calmness and relaxation, which are the vibes you give off, at least to me. I'm not saying that you feel that way all the time, but blue, I think, sort of wraps you up in a calm embrace, which is what your personality is for me…"

Grace raised her eyebrows with a grin. "My personality calms you?"

Leah nodded, the blush ever so evident on her face as she realized what she had just said. " _ Anyways _ , it was probably stupid. I do think yellow suits you too. Optimism, happiness and finding the bright side."

Grace shrugged. "I think you got me pretty well in all of that. For you, I'm going to guess you're an emerald green kind of girl. It's collected, elegant, and versatile, not to mention it's absolutely gorgeous. It's also very earthy yet magical, which I think suits you because you seem like you're a super grounded and down-to-Earth person, but you're always daydreaming about what could possibly be. How'd I do?"

Leah's mouth fell open and it took a few moments for her to find the words. "Spot on."

Grace simply winked and ate some more Goldfish, once again offering the bag to Leah (who politely declined) before rolling it up to keep the crackers fresh. 

Whatever slow song that had been playing ended and the unmistakable electric guitar intro to Bowling for Soup's song  _ 1985  _ was emitted from the speaker. Leah hummed happily with a grin, closing the empty container that used to hold the strawberries, setting it next to the bag and turning to face Grace, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Dance with me?"

"I-uh, I don't really dance that much..."

"Oh c'mon! it'll be fun. besides, this is, like, my favorite song!" Leah stood up  _ almost _ gracefully, reaching her hand out for Grace, who took it reluctantly.

Leah started to bounce around a bit, moving along to the beat of the music as she twirled Grace around. Grace laughed, softly gazing at Leah with a smile as the younger girl unleashed her inner dorkiness and danced to the music. She couldn't help nodding her head as the chorus began again, and it wasn't long before she and Leah were both jumping along to the song. Leah opened her eyes slightly, grinning as she saw Grace letting her stress and worry go, and simply dancing and enjoying herself in the moment.

It was at that second Leah was positively sure that it was all worth it just to see sheer happiness and relaxation on Grace's face.

At one point during the dancing, Grace could hear the shutter of a camera. Leah had pulled out the Polaroid and had the lens aimed right at Grace's dancing figure. The instant film was printed from the bottom of the camera and Leah removed it with a wink, shaking it a bit before placing it into the little box she had brought along. 

Grace feigned offense, though she was very much amused by the gesture, and, spinning over to Leah's side, casually snatched the camera from the teen's hands. She pointed it at Leah, who put a hand out in an attempt to block the lens, and snapped a photo. The film printed and Grace held it up in victory before placing it beside the other picture in the box and closing the lid. 

Leah shook her head with a grin, watching as Grace pointed the camera at the both of them together and leaned in. Grace snapped the photo, taking it from the bottom of the camera carefully before holding it up again for another selfie. The brunette wrapped her free arm around Leah while Leah leaned her head against Grace's with a soft smile. Another photo snapped. 

"Do one more!" Leah asked, to which Grace laughed and held up the camera again.

This time, Leah wrapped both arms around Grace and planted a lingering kiss on her cheek. Grace froze for a second, basking in the warmth before a smile spread from ear to ear and she snapped the picture. 

Once the negative was printed, Grace handed the three pieces of film and the camera back to Leah, who put the negatives in the box and turned off the camera, putting it back in the bag. A soft blush crept over her facial features as she turned to see Grace watching her from the center of the clearing, cheeks flushed as well.

  
  


The song had long come to a close, although neither girl really cared. They were enjoying each other's company so much that it didn't even matter to them.

It was only when the opening riffs of another song began that the two realized what was going on.

" _ I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy. _

_ I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need. _

_ I love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do _

_ I will be strong, I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning. _

_ A reason for living. A deeper meaning. _ "

"Oh shit," Leah cursed under her breath, eyes widening. She started to move over towards her phone, which was sitting on the speaker. "I didn't realize this one was in the playlist. I'm just gonna—"

"Don't." Grace's voice was soft as she grabbed Leah's wrist gently, stopping the younger girl from reaching her phone. "I like this one."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Dance with me?" Grace asked, echoing the question from earlier. She held her other hand out, meeting Leah's gaze with an almost shy smile.

Leah hesitated slightly, nervousness flooding her facial expression, before she took Grace's hand. "I...um, I've never done...this...before."

" _ I want to stand with you on a mountain. _

_ I want to bathe with you in the sea. _

_ I want to lay like this forever, _

_ Until the sky falls down on me. _

_ And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky, _

_ I'll make a wish, send it to heaven, then make you want to cry. _

_ The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty. _

_ That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of _

_ The highest power. In lonely hours, tears devour you." _

"You've never done what? Slow danced?" Grace chuckled softly, leading Leah back over to where they had been dancing before. "Not even at a school dance?"

"Uh, yeah no," Leah admitted, glancing down at her feet. Her cheeks began to redden again, this time flushing from embarrassment as she tried to laugh it off. "God, that sounded so lame..."

"Well," Grace began quietly. "First, the two partners stand close to one another..."

Leah's eyes lifted to look at Grace as the older teen took a step forward, closing the space between them. She gazed into Grace's eyes, noticing how the setting sun brought out the green in her otherwise hazel irises, and how that green complemented the overall tan tone of her skin, which glowed as the sun's light washed over it. If Leah hadn't recognized it before, she knew it as a fact now. Grace was stunning.

" _ I want to stand with you on a mountain. _

_ I want to bathe with you in the sea. _

_ I want to lay like this forever, _

_ Until the sky falls down over me. _

_ Oh, can you see it baby? _

_ You don't have to close your eyes _

_ 'Cause it's standing right before you. _

_ All that you need will surely come." _

"Next, one of the partners rests their hands here," Grace continued slowly, guiding Leah's hands to her lower back.

Leah's eyes widened, her hands lingering above Grace's back until the taller girl pressed them gently against her skin. Immediately, Leah could feel the strength of the muscles that ran through Grace's back, as well as the scar from the burn.

It's not like they hadn't hugged one another before, but this was the first time Leah had truly  _ held _ Grace. She felt her own muscles release tension that she didn't even know they were holding. It was almost comforting, holding Grace, and Leah loved it.

"While the other wraps their hands here." Grace lifted her arms to hold behind Leah's neck, continuing to watch Leah's reactions. They were...amusing, to say the least, but Grace thought they were adorable. She could see how flustered Leah was, and knew that she would be taking the lead this time. "And then, we sway."

" _ I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy. _

_ I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need. _

_ I'll love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do." _

The teens swayed awkwardly at first, extremely reminiscent of those grade-school dances where the DJ encourages all the young boys to pick a young girl to dance, and then they hold each other at arm's length for the entirety of a four minute ballad. However, as the song continued, Leah's shoulders relaxed, slowly becoming more and more comfortable with this form of intimacy.

She pulled Grace a little bit closer, wrapping her arms slightly tighter. Wow...this was real. She was  _ slow dancing  _ with  _ Grace _ !

Actually, scratch that.  _ Grace _ was teaching her to slow dance, and she  _ wasn't _ fucking it up!

Grace chuckled slightly as she inched closer to Leah, recognizing that Leah was likely overthinking every little move. She hoped that by moving closer, it would help Leah's mind and body just relax and flow to the music the way it had done with  _ 1985 _ . Laying her head on Leah's shoulder, she closed the distance between their bodies, pressing her front against Leah's and moving one hand to gently play with Leah's hair.

_ "I want to stand with you on a mountain. _

_ I want to bathe with you in the sea. _

_ I want to stand like this forever. _

_ Until the sky falls down on me. _ "

Leah stiffened momentarily, unprepared for the contact. It was intimate, more so than she had expected the slow dance to result in. Then again, they were  _ slow dancing _ , arguably one of the most intimate non-sexual acts between two maybe-kinda-girlfriends, so what else should she have expected?!

Taking a deep breath to clear her head, Leah melted into Grace's hold and laid her chin on the brunette's shoulder, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of lavender that Grace emitted. 

" _ I want to stand with you on a mountain. _

_ I want to bathe with you in the sea.  _

_ I want to live like this forever. _

_ Until the sky falls down on me. _ "

The two continued to sway together long after the song had ended, just holding one another as the sun started to set. It was peaceful, to say the least. The reds, oranges, and yellows of the sun setting as the cool summer breeze began to flow and the crickets started to chirp. Grace's arms still stayed wrapped around the back of Leah's neck as she sighed softly, feeling pure joy in the situation. 

A few minutes later, Leah pulled back, causing Grace to pull back as well. Leah could see the momentary fear and panic flash through Grace's eyes, afraid that she had taken it a step too far, but a gentle smile from the raven-haired girl silenced those thoughts. Instead, Leah leaned forward and pressed her forehead against the other girl's.

"Thank you," Leah whispered. 

  
"What for?" Grace asked in response, confused. "This was your plan. I should be thanking  _ you _ . And, thank you."

"Thank you for, um, whatever we just did," Leah laughed softly. "I've never done that before, and you were the perfect partner to teach me."

Grace smiled along. "You were a natural, don't worry. Thank  _ you _ , for all of this. I've never had anyone do anything like this for me."

"I figured you could use a day out of the house. It was my pleasure, really."

"But still, it was super thoughtful. Thank you."

"Anytime."

The two held each other in silence for another minute before Grace pulled back, looking at Leah anticipatingly. "Was this a date?"

Leah met her gaze with a small, hopeful smile. "Did you want it to be?"

Grace paused before nodding. "Yeah."

"Then I guess it was," Leah answered, tucking a strand of hair behind Grace's ear. She knew it felt super cliche, but in her defense, the strand had fallen into Grace's face on its own! 

Leah glanced down to Grace's lips and back up to her eyes. Grace bit her lip, waiting.

"Can I—" Leah began.

"Yes," Grace breathed. 

Leah smiled, pulling Grace close to her and pressing their lips together. The kiss was soft and chaste to start, both girls pulling away after the initial brush, but almost immediately leaned back in to kiss again: this time, more heated. Leah swiped her tongue across Grace's upper lip, requesting entry, which was immediately granted. She could feel Grace take her lower lip into her teeth, biting it gently as they kissed. 

As if on cue, the unmistakable ring of Grace's phone interrupted the two hormonal teens, who broke apart with a quiet laugh as Grace answered her phone. The brunette's face immediately fell, answering questions with " _ yes _ ," " _ I don't know _ ," and the occasional " _ sorry _ ."

Hanging up, Grace looked back up at Leah with sorrow in her eyes. 

"I forgot to tell my dad where we were," the brunette stated, answering Leah's unspoken question. "I have to get home  _ now _ or I'm, and I quote, 'Never seeing the light of day again.'" 


End file.
